Music-leaf turner.



No. 807,867. I PATENTED DEC. 19, 1905. K. R. RICHARDSON.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.9,1904.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 807,867. PATBNTED DEC.19, 1905. K. R. RICHARDSON. MUSIC LEAP TURNER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.9,1904.

5SHEETSSHEBT2.

W X G M x E, w h w n M a 7 FM 7 6 a 5 M M H 3 No. 807,867. PATENTED DEC. 19, 1905. K. R. RICHARDSON.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1904.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

mvn/as S S No. 807,867. PATENTED DEC. 19, 1905.

' K. R. RICHARDSON.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1904.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

Witness s, [an/eaten KASSEN R. RICHARDSON, OF BATTLECREEK, MICHIGAN.

MUSIC-LEAF TURNER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1905.

Application filed January 9, 1904. Serial No. 188,308.

To Z7, whom it may cm wcrn:

Be it known that I, KASSEN R. Rrcnxnn- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Battlecreek, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Automatically Turning both Book and Sheet Music, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to music-leaf turners, and more particularly to that class adapted for attachment to cabinet instruments, but can be readily applied to tripod or other music stands; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of my invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to furnish a device of this class that by the depression of a trip or lever conveniently arranged along the keyboard of an instrument a page or leaf of music can be easily and quickly turned either to the right or left, as may be desired; whereby a book or folio can be quickly and firmly secured to the device; whereby the leaves may be readily applied or released from the gripping-fingers; whereby the arms carrying the gripping-fingers may be shortened or extended, as may be found expedient, and whereby the device will be positive in operation, simple in construction, and ornamental in appearance.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my improved musicturner applied to an instrument and a book in position for usage. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the music-turner with the receiving-fingers thrown down preparatory to receive a book or other musical composition and the arms thereof partially extended, also the grippingfingers turned back. Fig. 3 is a side view of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view with the bracket or rest removed and shows the action of the right-hand dog moving a leaf-turning arm to the left. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section of Fig. 4 with the top on. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-section front view of Fig. I. Fig. 7 is a plan view on the line 90 w of Fig. 5 with the gearing and actuating-levers removed. Fig. 8 is a plan view with all the mechanism removed, excepting the arm-actuating levers, both of which are in a normal position. Fig. 9 is a detail of one of these leaf-turning arms and its spring. Fig. 10 is a detail of a leafturning arm in a normal position. Fig. 11 is a plan of the folio or book holding mechanism closed and illustrates one finger thereof extended to receive a thick article, as a book. Fig. 12 is a detail of one of the leaf-turning arms and extensible slide with a grippingclip. Fig. 18 is an end view of Fig. 12. Fig. 14 is a part section of Fig. 13. Fig. 15 is a detailsection plan showing an actuating-arm in a normal position, its recoil-spring, and its actuating-dog. Fig. 16 is a detail rear view of the actuating-arms in a normal position. Fig. 17 is an actuating-arm with its latch and spring. Fig. 18 is a plan view of an actuatingarm stripped. Fig. 19 is a perspective view of the latch 19. Fig. 20 is a perspective View of a lever-actuating dog, and Fig. 21 is a perspective view of the left-hand spring to the book-holding mechanism.

In the drawings, like marks of reference refer to corresponding parts throughout the different views.

A represents the keyboard of an'instrument; B, the cover, having a ledge upon which the music-turner rests.

C represents the backboard to my improved music-leaf turner, the lower edge of which by preference is provided with a rubber or felt cushion to prevent marring of an instrument upon which it is adapted to rest. This backboard near its central and lower edge has a hole cut therethrough and into which is placed the bracket D for holding leaf-turning mechanism, a plate E, to the rear side thereof, having screws and securing the aforesaid assemblages of parts intact. Above and secured to the bracket D is a ledge or suport F, upon which the music rests. Parallel with the ledge F in the bracket D is a slot 47, through which the leaf-actuating arms 1, 2; and 3 may play in the operation of the device. At a point central to the bracket D is a post 4. This post is held in position by an upper and lower extension of the bridge 5, secured to the back plate E. Entering the bracket D at a point below said post and at right angles thereto from the front of said bracket is a shaft 6, whose rear extremity is received through an aperture in the back plate E, and to the forward end thereof the actuating trip or lever G is secured. Secured to this shaft between the back plate E and the bridge 5 is a segment 7, engaging with a pinion 8 to the rear end of the shaft 9, Fig. 6, and to the opposite or front end of said shaft a bevel-gear I0 is secured. To the upper end of the post 4 a miter-gear 11 is fixed, and this gear meshes with the gear aforesaid. Centrally located between the upper and lower supports to the post 4 and fixed to the bridge 5 is a series of thin metallic plates 12, between which the arms 1, 2, and 3 are adapted to play, the aforesaid arms being secured between said plates by said post passing therethrough, upon which said arms are capable of free and unrestrained action, except as hereinafter mentioned.

In the construction of the music-turning arms the center lever 2 is straight, and it is alined with the horizontal slot 47 in the bracket D, through which it protrudes. The levers 1 and 3 have ofl'sets at a, the former bending downward and to the right, the latter bending upward and toward the left, the former being comprehended in Fig. 5, the latter in Fig. 6. Said offsets will also be comprehended in Figs. 4 and 7.

The object of having the offsets (L is so that the arms 1, 2, and 3 will have their internal ends bankedi. 0., one located above another pivoted from the same axiswhile their extremities or that portion extending through the slot 47 in the bracket D will lie side by side, their tips being spread, as shown in Fig. 2, and provided with gripping-clips, as shown. Both above and below said plates and freely mounted on said post levers are provided. Within each lever a latch actu ated by a spring is pivoted. Fixed to said post and bearing against each of said levers a spiral spring is placed, and secured to said post and adapted to actuate said levers fixed dogs are provided. The aforesaid assemblages of mechanism are identical, the one operating to the right, the other to the left, the right set facing downward, the left set facing upward, and vice versa, as will be shown in Fig. 16. The upper lever 13 and the lower lever 14 are provided with horizontal slots 46, Fig. 17, through which the recoilsprings 15 and 16 may play, the free ends of said springs bearing against the faces of said levers, as will be best illustrated in Figs. 8, 15, and 16, in which also will be shown the fixed dog 17, which actuates the lever 13, a corresponding dog 18 operating the lever 14.

In causing the shaft 4 to revolve to the left the dog 17 attached thereto will carry the lever 13, against which it bears, to likewise pass to the left, the coil-spring 15 merely moving with said lever without extra tension, from the fact that the inner end of said spring is also fastened to said shaft. This movement, however, will cause the spring 16, hearing against the lever 14, to unwind and gain tension, and as soon as the momentum is released in causing said shaft to revolve said spring 16 will cause said shaft to return to a normal position, carrying the lever 13 and its attendant parts therewith.

A reverse movement to said shaft would act in like manner on the spring 15, or vice versa.

In thelever 13 is pivoted thelatch 1.),which operates through a vertical slot 52, and in the lever 14 is pivoted the latch 20, the former-being actuated by the spring 21, the latter by the spring 22. At the outer extremity of the aforesaid latches fingers 23 are provided, and. at a point on their face sides from their edges the thickness of a lever (1, 2, or 3) upwardlycurved projections 24 are provided, said projections curving from each other. That these projections will allow said latches to lift so as to clear the arms 1, 2, and 3 in the oscillation of the levers, said lovers are provided ith a cut-out portion 53, into which. said curved projections may enter. (See Fig. 17.)

Within the bracket D and at either side of the slot 47, through which the leaf-turning arms project, ways 25 and 26 are provided, th e former adapted to form a guide for the finger on the upper latch 19 to ride, the latter for the latch to ride. Above the way and to the right is a flat curved spring 27 the lower and free end thereof bearing against said way, its rear end being fixed forward of the normal position of the latch 19. Bearing against the lower way 26 is a spring 28, adapted to work substantially as the aforesaid spring 27, cepting that it is underneath and to the left, as shown.

Screwed to the bridge 5 is a triple-tongued spring 29, each of whose tongues extend backward of the post 4 between the metallic plates 12 and bear against the curved inner ends of the leaf-turning arms 1, 2, and 3 and will be fully comprehended from Figs. 7, 9, and 10. The object of these tongues is to bear against the curved end of said arms and retain the same when moved from one position to another in the operation of the music-turner.

Under the ledge or shelf F a longitudinal slot 48 is provided, and within this slot a shaft 51, having curved ends or lingers 30 and an operating-lever 31, is supported. To support this shaft at either end thereof, flat springs 32, having curved tips 49 with cut-out portions 50, into which the shaft operates, are screwed to the backboard C, and screwed to the under side of the ledge or shelf F a spring bears upward against the lever 31 and keeps the tips of the lingers 30 always firmly against a book or sheet of music placed between the backboard and said fingers.

By the provision of the springs 32 at either end of the shaft having the fingers 30 a very flexible adjustment is provided for the reception of a book of music which may be placed therebetwecn, either spring allowing for a very thick assemblage of. leaves to be engaged between the backboard C and the gripping-fingers 30, Fig. 1] representing one of the springs extended in the manner for inserting a thick book, as aforesaid.

That the arms supporting the individual leaves of music it is desired to play may be always suited to the size of the sheet, I attach telescopic or adjustable tips 34 thereto. Each tip has a sheath or sheaths 35, Fig. 12, one of which is provided with a thumb-bur 36 for securing the same as it may be slid back and forth on the aforesaid arms. To the end of each of these tips an arc-shaped extremity having a broadened tip 37 is provided. Axially to the curved portion a ball joint 38 is formed, and pivoted thereto are cup-jointed two-piece clips 39, having elongated slots 40, (only one of which is shown,) through which a pivot 41 passes and secures caps 43 on either side thereof. One of the clips is provided with extension sides 45, between which the opposite clip is received, and between these sides a tension-spring 44 is secured to keep said clips closed when in a normal position, as when a sheet of music is placed therebetween. The operation of these clips is as follows: hen it is desired to place a page of music within a clip, the lower curved ends are pressed together, by which means the upper ends are thrown apart, allowing for the introduction of a page of music, the coil-spring 44 reacting the said clip upon the releasing of the finger-grip and clamping said page therein. Another method to operate these clips in opening them for the reception of a page of music is to draw their lower curved portion forward toward the musicturning arms. This will throw their upper ends outward, and by the provision of the curved and broadened extremities 37, to which they are pivoted, said upper ends will open as they stride said extremities and close as they return to a normal or upright posi tion.

The operation of my improved music-leaf turner in the main will have been apparent from the foregoing description.

A book of music or other musical composition having been placed upon the ledge F and secured to the backboardC by the holding-fingers 30 and the desired musical selection having been secured in numerical order between the gripping-fingers at the ends of the turningarms 1, 2, and 3 and said arms having been fixed to the right in the natural order of musical notation, the operator wishing to turn a leaf to the left will press down on the. trip or lever G to the right. This action will, through the segment-and-gear connection within the bracket D, actuate the fixed dog 17, Fig. 8, to turn it to the left. As said dog moves it also actuates the lever 13 and its attendant latch 19 and causes the arm on the right to move to the left. Said arm having traveled nearly to its limit toward the left, the curved end of said arm will have passed sufficiently along the spring 29 until a point is reached where the leverage exerted by said spring will throw said arm to a normal or locked position, as shown in Fig. 10. This description refers to throwing an arm toward the left. 14 and its attendant parts would work just the reverse, and the spring 29 would in this instance retain said. lever to the right, or vice versa. In the former case the spring 15 will react and throw the lever 13 and its attendant dog and all mechanism tending to actuate the same to a normal position. As the lever 13 passes to the left the finger 23 on the latch 19 will lift the flat race-spring 27, and, returning, will ride said spring, and reaching its rear extremity will fall to the rear of one of the leaf-turning arms and engage the next arm which may be located to the right, the curved projection 24 striking on the top of said arm and preventing said latch engaging more than one lever at a time. Depressing the lever G 011 the left will in like manner actuate the mechanism and cause said left operating mechanism to pass toward the right, and vice versa.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a music-leaf turner in combination a backboard, a ledge near the lower edge there of, a cup-shaped bracket supporting said ledge a horizontal groove beneath said ledge, a shaft operative within said groove and supported near either end of its horizontal portion by curved springs, said shaft having curved extremities extending beyond said groove and a horizontal arm protruding beneath said ledge, a spring secured beneath said ledge and adapted to bear up said arm, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A music-leaf turner, the combination with a backboard and a music-holding ledge, of flat springs having cut-out portions secured beneath said ledge near either end thereof to said backboard, a shaft supported within said cut-out portions, a horizontal arm extending from said shaft, a spring secured to said ledge and bearing up said arm, said shaft having curved extremities extending beyond said ledge and adapted to engage the extended covers of the book and hold the same against said backboard, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination in a music-leaf turner of a backboard, a ledge near the bottom thereof, a cup-shaped bracket supporting said ledge, a shaft entering said bracket, an

operating-lever on the outer end of saidshaft, a segment secured to the opposite end of said shaft, a spur-gear meshing with said segment, a bevel-gear operative from said spur-gear, a vertical shaft, a miter-gear mounted on said shaft and meshing with said bevel-gear, arms loosely supported from said vertical shaft and protruding through an elongated slot in said bracket, and dogs secured to said shaft and adapted to actuate said arms.

However, the under lever 4. The combination in a music-leaf turner of a bracket, an actuatingshaft entering said bracket, a vertical shaft, dogs fixed near both ends of said shaft, levers loosely mounted on said shaft and adapted to engage said dogs, springs fixed to said shaft and bearing said levers against said dogs, latches operative within said levers, arms loosely mounted upon said shaft and between said. levers, said dogs being diametrically opposed, the one operative to the right, the other to the left, substantially as and for the purpose set forth and described.

5. The combination in a music-leaf turner of a cup-shaped bracket, a bracket within said bracket, arms extending from said inner bracket, metallic plates protruding from said inner bracket between said arms, a vertical shaft supported between said arms and passing through said plates, means for oscillating said shaft, arms loosely mounted on said shaft between said plates and extending through a horizontal aperture in said cupshaped bracket, diametrically-opposed dogs secured near either end of said shaft, levers loosely mounted on said shaft and adapted to engage said dogs, springs secured to said shaft and bearing said levers against said dogs, latches pivoted within said levers and adapted to engage said arms, said dogs being opposed, the one operative to the right, the other to the left, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination in a music-leaf turner of a cup-shaped bracket, a vertical oscillating shaft mounted within said bracket, means for actuating said shaft, arms loosely mounted on said shaft and protruding through a transverse slot in said bracket, races either side of said transverse slot, diametrically-opposed dogs mounted on said shaft near either end thereof, levers mounted on said shaft, springs secured to said shaft and bearing said levers against said dogs, latches pivotally mounted in said levers and adapted to engage said arms, fingers on the extremities of said latches adapted to engage a race either side of said transverse slot, springs secured to said bracket and bearing against said races, said lingers adapted to lift said springs in their movements in actuating an arm and to ride said springs in receding to a normal position, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth and described.

7. In a music-leaf turner, the combination of a backboard, a mechanism-supporting bracket, a post vertically supported within. said bracket, leaf-turning arms loosely pivoted and supported from. said post, arc-shaped cam extremities at the inner end of said arms, a spring secured within said bracket having multiple tongues adapted to bear against the individual cams respectively, dogs adapted to engage said arms both from below and above, the one to actuate the arms to the right, the other to actuate the arms to the left, and means to actuate said dogs, all adapted to coact, substantially as, and for the purpose set forth.

8. The combination with leaf-turning arms pivotally mounted on a vertical post, of actuating-arms pivotally mounted on said post, latches pivoted and disposed longitudinally with relation to said arms, fingers on the extremities of said latches, springs circumferentially disposed about said post, said fingers adapted to ride said springs in their return movement to raise said latches above said leaf-turning arms, means for releasing said latches to engage leaf-turning arms when in a normal position, curved stops projecting from the face side of said latches adapted to prevent their acting on more than one leaf-turning armv at the same time, and means for operating said actuating-arms, substantially as, and for the purpose set forth.

9. The combination with a bracket having a horizontal slot, of a vertical oscillatory shaft mounted therein, leaf-turning arms pivotally mounted on said shaft, said arms having their pivoted ends banked, one of said arms being straight and adapted. to pass horizontally through said slot, the arms lying both above and below said straight arm having offsets, the former being curved downward and to one side, the latter being curved upward and to an opposite side, their extremities lying in horizontal arrangement, substantially as, and for the purpose set forth.

10. The combination with a bracket having a horizontal slot, of a vertical oscillatory shaft mounted therein, leaf-turningarms pivotally mounted on said shaft, said arms having their pivoted ends banked, one of said arms being straight and adapted to pass horizontally through said slot, the arms lying both above and below said straight arm having offsets, the former being curved down ward and to the left, the latter being curved upward and to the right, their extremities lying in horizontal arrangen'ient, substantially as, and for the purpose set forth.

KASSEN 1t. RICHARDSON.

itnesses C. S. SULLIVAN, V. E. RANDALL. 

